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Show RACE RIOTS War between whites and blacks in Chicago has been forecast by eyen superficial observers these many years. The rapid growth of tho black population and their settled antipathy toward to-ward whites, marked by a constant attitude of definance, has boded a sanguinary struggle. i The aggressiveness of the Chicago negroes was a source of re- ( current irritation to the whites. By a process of action and reaction re-action the pressure of animosity was increased on either side and it became .only a question of time when it would eventuate in blood letting. I Negroes coming up from the south in vast numbers to Chicago intensified the bitterness. The southern negro found himself suddenly sud-denly freed from the everpresent repression exercised by the whites , of the itouth. Realizing that his stuns had changed, he became arrogant and did what he could to emphaize his new spirit of independence. Naturally this did not tend to promote a good will. The negro zone extends from tho loop district far to tho south and many of tho white pcoplo in the district or adjoining it belong to a class about on a par with the toughtest elements in all big cities. Thugs, gunmen, dope fiends and unspeakable characters are to be found by thousands In this district. it required only what the Germans call the "will' to war" to start the race riots. For years there was no mass mind on either side willing war. It was a case of individual hatreds and clashes. The Washington riots had their inception in attacks on whito women an 'old cause of trouble in tho south. This was the spark that lit tho train of explosives. The Chicago outbreak was probably a sympathetic sequel to the Washington trouble. Reading of tho murderous fighting in. the capital city the Chicago negroes wese thrown into a paroxysm paroxy-sm of fury. The worst charcters among them thirsted for revenge. rev-enge. It needed only a real fancied affront to explode the mine. It is pijobablc that the war itself had something to do with the affair. Tho great record of the black soldiers In France, where their fighting spirit was givou full rein, no doubt has stirred tho fighting spirit among the blacks throught the nalon. They argued argu-ed that in fighting at least they were equal to the whites. i Hero wo touch the old wound tho submerged social position of-tho black race. Even tho fact that hundreds of thousands of white men died to free the negro could not blind the negro to his position of enforced inferiority. Whereever he went In the broad land he could evoke tho admiration of tho whites only by "keeping "keep-ing his place." That was the only tribute the average white over paid to a black man. "He knows how to keep his place," was the customary praise for a negro who conducted himself cour-tcsouly cour-tcsouly or obsequiously toward the whites. Naturally this 'en--coinium was regarded as an insult by the upstanding black nian. ThoBe who live in communities where there is no race question ques-tion cannot realize the constant friction in communities where the whites and tho blacks are always in contact. In the south tho blacks arc made "to lteep their places" on "Jim Crow" street and railway cars. In the north the threat of force is removed. The negroes and whites minglo indiscriminately indiscrimin-ately on public conveyances and make a habit of insultingjjOji another. Rather we should say that only a small uumbcFotyl either sldo resort to insult, but only a small number Is needed to sink deep into tho souls of all the sense of race hatred. These are some of tho causes of race riots. They arc born of passion and die at tho touch of reason. Unless the subordinated race is able to overthrow the conquering race and take tho ascendancy asce-ndancy there can bo no immediate settlement ofthe quarrel. Tho result Is that riots flame and are extinguished. The futility of the fight is seen by ho better elements on both sides and a truco is enforced. In a sense the Chicago race riot is a most illuminating commentary com-mentary on probhlbition. It was customaiy, in the days of tho saloon, to point mnny a' moral with Demon Rum as tho villain of the plot. Tho prohibitionist prohibi-tionist was able to trace most of the tragedy and sorrow of tho world io strong drink, but now that liquor has been expelled from our civilization tragedy and sorrow seen to be as prevalent atf oyer. Instear of murdering folk one by one in dry Chicago they murder them by wholesale. Hero in Utah only tho other day, a ranch feud led to murder. Everybody Involved was perfectly sober and mentally intemperate. How eagerly and quickly the advocate of prohibition would have pointed the moral had the Washington and Chncigo riots occurred occurr-ed two months ago, Demon Rum would have como in for a castlgation such as ho had never felt before and his apologists would have piped up feebly in his defense, their voices quavering with an undertone of slmmo and guilt. Old Demon Rum is down and out. Ho was a bad lot at best but it begins to appear that other demons were responsible for much of the sin and crime commonly ascribed to Demon Rum. Tho Citizen. |